Guard Dog
by DragonLadyRachael
Summary: Haruhi is a trouble magnet. Casanova rescues her, and then they rescue a dog together. That's a good reason to visit, right? If it's not, maybe the kiss would be. Kasanoda/Haruhi may make it to the T rating later
1. Chapter 1

Guard Dog

~Early summer, on the bus

Haruhi gazed out the bus window as the scenery sped past. She was reluctantly wearing a dress today, and angry at her father for it. He had "packed away the winter clothes" and most of her comfortable, shapeless clothes had somehow disappeared. Bowing to the inevitable, she had sighed and pulled the first dress she saw out of her closet. It turned out to be a light green sundress embroidered with tiny flowers, it failed to reveal her cleavage and the skirt fell just above the knee. At least it was modest and lace free, though the twins would likely have some sort of issue with it.

A pair of matching flats and a clutch purse had been pressed on her by her father, in rapture over her cuteness, and she rolled her eyes and snatched her list of errands and bus fare from his hands. She wore the shoes, but left the purse in favor of her spare backpack, which contained her lunch, water bottle, shopping money, phone, a collapsible umbrella, and a small first aid kit. Her time with the Host club had taught her to be prepared for almost anything. If space had allowed, she would have added a change of clothes and a book or three, in case she ran into them and they tried to kidnap her for some stupid thing. She muttered to herself "Idiots, always stealing my days off."

She drifted gently forward as the bus came to a stop. With her attention out the window, she failed to notice the group of boys that got on, nudging and laughing. Their leader, in dark jeans and an artfully worn jacket, apparently thought himself a tough guy.

In the back of the bus, a certain redhead smirked inwardly at the swagger. They may be the big dogs in their little world, but they would survive maybe 3 seconds in his. He turned his eyes to Haruhi. She had seemed irritated and preoccupied when she came on the bus, and never even noticed him there in the shadows. He would leave it unless given a reason to interfere.

Ritsu Kasanoda narrowed his eyes as the tough guy and his friends plopped into the seats around Haruhi. She continued to ignore them, her practice from the Host Club holding her in good stead. She had ignored worse. Tough guy moved closer, letting his leg brush against hers. She moved slightly away and straightened her skirt.

Kasanoda could feel his anger rising and clenched his fists. The bodyguard next to him saw the movement and followed the young master's gaze to the young woman surrounded by boys. Tetsuya was surprised, the girl looked faintly familiar, and why couldn't he place her? He would be more than happy to help rescue this girl if it would still the rumors of his friend being gay.

Haruhi's eyes brightened at something outside the window. She reached up and pulled the cord, saying softly to the boys (who were much too close), "My stop." They moved to let her out, but followed. Kasanoda jumped to leave, as did all his guys. The bus drove off, lighter by one girl, four oblivious tough guys, and five yakuza members.

~o0o~

Haruhi knew she was being followed. Blurry reflections in the store windows across from her showed the boys from the bus, and a little way behind them, several large scary looking men and a flash of red hair. As nervous as she was starting to become, the thought of red hair made her feel somewhat hopeful.

A hand gripped her arm. "Hey girly, wanna go have some fun?" She twisted her wrist and stepped back. "No, I doubt we have the same ideas of fun. You should go." She replied coldly, watching out of the corner of her eye as his friends circled behind her, limiting her escape. "Oh, so unfriendly, girly. Why don't we show you what we think is fun, and then you can decide? I think you may like it." He grabbed her shoulders and tried to pull her close for a kiss. She went limp and ducked her head.

"I believe the lady said no."

Dropping the girl, he turned to see the scariest looking guy he had ever seen scowling at him, with several guys behind him whose looks just screamed 'Yakuza'. With his boys already backing away, instinctively knowing that a confrontation with these guys would be fatal, the tough guy raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, you want her, you got her, I got no beef with you."

The scary redhead took a step forward, grabbing the lapels of his jacket and pulling them eye to eye. In a quiet voice filled with menace, he said, "I suggest you leave, then, before we really do have a problem." The formerly tough guy scurried off, leaving his jacket in the other's hands to chase after his boys, who had not waited. The redhead tossed it to one of his guys, maybe one of the crew could use it once it was cleaned.

Extending a hand and a rare gentle smile, "You okay, Haruhi?" She took his hand, smiling back trustingly as he gently pulled her to her feet. He steadied her, carefully checking her for injuries without allowing his hands to wander. Neither of them noticed the gob smacked expressions of the crew at this tender moment.

"Thanks for the help, Casanova-kun."

His smile grew strained, "That's not my name, Haruhi."

She smiled shyly. "Ritsu, then. Will you walk me home in case they come back?"

Tetsuya bowed over her free hand and spoke up, "I doubt they would dare, miss. I must say, though, you look very familiar. I can't imagine why I can't place such a charming lady, how do you know the young master?"

She tilted her head to the side, "Oh, hi Tetsuya! We met before, though I haven't seen you since Honey accidentally got that red paint on me." She looked aside to see his bright red face and smiled, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Not your fault, really. I don't hold a grudge about that, or what happened after." Now they both were blushing, faces turned away. He was almost the color of his hair.

Tetsuya inhaled sharply in shock, as a sudden quirk of her profile made it clear. "Fujioka? You're a girl!"

She looked blandly back at him, "Yes, and?"

He began to babble in relief, "No, this is perfect! We were all so worried for so long, not that we would ever think any less of him, of course, but you're a girl! His honored father, we were afraid what he might do, but we didn't know that you were a girl, and now everything is fine. I'm so glad to see you, Haruhi-san!" He abruptly picked her up and swung her around in a hug, which she endured in bewildered silence. At least his hands didn't wander and she wasn't being squeezed half to death, as Tamaki often had.

He seemed extra happy about her gender, anyway. She hoped he didn't have a crush on her, too. Tetsuya seemed nice enough, but she didn't like him like that. Ritsu, however, was another story.

Tetsuya set her down and gently turned her to face the guys. "Gentlemen, I am pleased to present," he waved a flourish at her, "Fujioka Haruhi, the young master's dear friend from the _Host Club_." A wave of enlightenment crashed over the guys. They suddenly bowed in unison, and she could see Ritsu with his hand over his eyes in embarrassment as they chorused "Pleased to meet you, Lady Fujioka!"

She looked to him for guidance, but he had his eyes closed, rubbing his temples in exasperation. "Well, now you all know me, who are you gentlemen?" One by one they introduced themselves, Tetsuya she knew already. Hatayo blushed and tried to pull his sleeve down over a beautifully rendered naked lady on one arm, muttering about 'youthful indiscretions'. Ryu had twinned dragons in vibrant colors along both arms, their faces meeting at his collarbone. The last one, a bald bodybuilder type, had no visible tattoos and muttered and blushed so much she never did catch his name.

Ritsu finally managed to control his blushes and offered her his arm, "Shall we go?" She smiled up at him and took it. Anyone brave enough to watch would see a sweet looking girl, arm in arm with a scary looking redhead who unbent enough to smile as they chatted, followed after by a few yards a young blonde guy and three apparent mobsters. The sight of Kasanoda and the guys, however, caused most people to cross to the other side of the street and carefully not look.

Haruhi and Ritsu walked on, enjoying the warm day and the feel of the other's arm. Her stomach growled and she quirked a smile up at him. "Must be time for lunch, I have my bento, but what about you guys?"

The crew denied being hungry, so she looked up at Ritsu and he smiled back at her. He wanted so much to bring her to dinner, a nice restaurant, candles, but he didn't want to hurt her reputation by being seen with him. It was bad enough they were walking together, but between him and the guys she was unlikely to be seen. Deep in his heart, he knew he wasn't good enough for her, she was going to be a lawyer, after all, but he just couldn't squash that last bit of hope. A gesture to Hatayo and he returned the tough guy's jacket. He checked the pockets, he was sure it felt heavy on one side, ah, a wallet. Holding it up and pulling out the cash, he said, "It seems our new friend is buying us lunch today. Tetsuya, bring one of the guys and get some take out. Anything you would like, Haruhi?"

She tapped her chin in thought, "Maybe some ootoro and a strawberry tart, if it's not too much trouble?" The guys rushed to assure her that anything she wanted would be fine, and they would be back quickly. They all agreed to meet in the nearby park, and Tetsuya and the bald guy left.

They walked slowly through the park, given a wide berth by other couples. Haruhi seemed not to notice, so Ritsu kept up a running monologue on the various plants and trees, drawing her attention to anything rare or out of place. He pointed to one side, where the manicured grass gave way to a small wild wood, "And there is a wild rose. The flowers are smaller but more fragrant than cultivated varieties, and although it has been successfully crossed with other roses, the wild plant doesn't do well when people attempt to grow it themselves." She made a move to go closer, but he held her back. "It also has very large thorns, and a symbiotic bacteria that can cause infection if people attempt to pull it." He led her to a bench, where she sat to unpack her bag. His eyes widened when he saw all the things she pulled out. "Geez, Haruhi, were you running away or something?"

She breathed a soft laugh, "Some days I wish I could. You know the host club? They usually manage to kidnap me on my days off and drag me some stupid place, usually because of Tamaki." She pointed to different items "Once, I went on a date with Hikaru, he got jealous and ran off, and I was caught in the rain, so the umbrella. A different time, I found Kyoya at a mall, and we spent the day together. Tamaki had left him on a bench without his wallet or phone, so I make sure I have a little money and a phone. From all the times the twins have forced me into some frilly dress of stupid, I've wished I could fit a change of clothes and a book for the long rides we always end up taking. The first aid kit is in case someone gets hurt and Kyoya's not around, Tamaki freaks out if he gets a papercut. About the only true gentlemen I know are you and Mori."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise, "I thought you liked them?"

A sigh of exasperation, "I do like them, but I want to be allowed to do things on my own. I need to be able to study sometimes, but they're always interrupting and forcing me on outings I don't want. I don't need to be showered with gifts, and I don't want their money. They're like overprotective older brothers, except the twins, who act like annoying younger brothers, and Honey acts like a kid, but he isn't." She closed her eyes and leaned back, "They are my friends, but I feel like they don't hear me, what I say doesn't seem to matter. The second I don't want to go along with something, Kyoya shows up to hold my debt over my head. Yeah, I know I owe them, but some days I feel like more of a servant than a friend." She opened her eyes and looked at him, "That's why I like spending time with you, Casanova. You never try to force me into anything, and you actually listen to me." Feeling brave, she leaned over and softly kissed his cheek. He blushed to match his hair, again.

Stunned and confused, Ritsu looked around to see Tetsuya and the other guy returning with lunch. It seems like they had seen, since both were grinning like crazy. A quick glare, and they smoothed their faces to a more neutral expression. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. Wait, hadn't she rejected him already? Maybe they could talk about it after lunch.

They all moved to a picnic table, close to the edge of the forest. Ritsu sat with Haruhi on one side, Tetsuya on the other. With the containers spread out and enough chopsticks for everyone, they shared food and laughter across the table. Haruhi engaged everyone in conversation, even getting a few words from the bald guy. They all looked on as she ate the ootori in obvious bliss.

When they were about halfway through the food, they heard a soft whimper from the forest. From amiable lunch partners to deadly bodyguards in a second, the crew stood, a few hands reaching for weapons. Haruhi held up a hand and turned to the forest, "Shh, wait." She crouched down, hands open and called softly, "Hello?" The whimper came again and a low rustling. The guys stood at her back and she glared at them. "Give me a chance, okay? Something's hurt in there."

Kasanoda ran his hand through his hair, "Yeah, we can tell, and we don't want you hurt too. What if it's dangerous?"

She shook her head as the sounds grew closer, the whimpers becoming louder. Soon a dog crept through the brush. Crawling on its belly, head down and tail tucked under, covered in scratches and wounds, it presented a pitiful sight. "Oh, you poor baby, come on." She called, going to her knees and holding out a hand, her thumb and fingers curled loosely under.

"Come on, what if it bites you?"

"I don't think it will, but that's why my hand is like this, it's harder to hold onto. It's not showing any aggression right now, it's saying, 'I'm hurt, please don't hurt me more." The dog collapsed at her feet, giving her hand a single lick and laying on its side. "And now I can tell he's asking me to take care of him, acknowledging I'm stronger." She carefully petted his head, avoiding any wounds. She motioned Ritsu over, taking his hand in hers, and letting the dog sniff him, so he would know that he was also a friend.

One of the guys brought over a take-out lid and her water bottle, she carefully poured a little at a time, so he wouldn't drink too fast. After some food, that she also gave him slowly, he began to look tired. She looked up at Ritsu, seated next to her. "While he's tired, I want to clean and bandage him, but one of us has to hold him."

He reached back to grab the spare jacket. "You should hold him with this, so he doesn't bleed on your dress, I'll bandage him." She nodded and carefully they worked together as she murmured reassurances and soft caresses to the dog. Ritsu found himself faintly jealous. Finally the dog was clean and bandaged, but he seemed to have a hard time standing on his back left leg. "The cut on that leg is shallow but long, it'll heal but be too painful to walk on for a few days yet. Are you even allowed dogs in your apartment? He's kind of big and scary looking."

Haruhi looked at him in dismay. "Oh, we can't have dogs! Even if we could, how would I walk him with those stairs and his injuries?" She reached down to pet him again, "I know he looks scary, but that's just because he's part pit bull. They're not inherently dangerous dogs, they just have that reputation because people use them as fight dogs." Her eyes were pleading "Can you take him with you, and keep him safe? I trust you not to let people hurt him."

Aw man, he couldn't say no to those eyes. "Yeah, we'll take him." She looked sad when Hatayo carefully picked the dog up, now wrapped in the coat. "Hey," he said hopefully, "maybe you could come visit him, make sure he's okay." She smiled shakily at that. "Look, we'll pack up the rest of the food, and a few of the guys will take the dog-"

"Cassie." She said firmly.

"Eh?"

"His name is Cassie." She nodded

"Okay, I guess he can't just be 'dog' for the rest of his life. As I was saying, they'll bring him back to my place and I'll walk you home, yeah?" Ritsu smiled down at her.

"I'd like that."

~o0o~

They were a few blocks from her house. At one point, she had taken his hand to cross the street, and never tried to pull it back. He certainly didn't want to let go.

She looked behind to see how close Tetsuya was before she spoke, "You know how I call you Casanova at the Host Club, did you ever wonder about it?"

"I figured you and the guys couldn't get my name right." He sighed.

"I _can_ get your name right. Did you ever take European Literature?" There was a hint of amusement in her tone.

"My class didn't, it's an honors course. Did you?" he was confused, what were they talking about?

"Casanova was a writer in the late 1700s. He was many things, religious lawyer, lay doctor, noble criminal, lover of women, and others. His name is used as a synonym for 'Notorious Womanizer'. I think, deep at heart, you may be a romantic, and I'd like to see that side of you." She ducked him into a nearby alley, stood on her toes, and kissed him on the lips. "I really like you, Ritsu."

He stood, frozen in shock, eyes wide. "But, you rejected me, said we were just friends."

She sighed and leaned her head on his chest as he wound an arm across her shoulders. "I don't really belong at Ouran, you know. I made my own place there, with the scholarship, but nobody really talks to me outside of Host club, and they're too busy mooning over an illusion to get to know the real me. I felt an empathy with you, thought maybe you would understand how it was to feel different and have people trying to change you all the time. Friendship seemed like a good start to love, I don't like to rush into anything."

A faintly rough hand tilted her chin to look at him again. "Yes," he said simply, and leaned forward to kiss her again. This time, he allowed himself to hold her gently, and pulled away with great effort.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. Swiftly, he pushed Haruhi behind him, glare on full blast as he turned. From the grin on Tetsuya's face, he had been there for at least a few minutes. "Yeah, what?" he growled.

Tetsuya downgraded his grin to a faint smirk, he didn't want to embarrass the young master while he was just starting this relationship. He bowed in Haruhi's direction, "We're just a block from the lady's grocery store, much farther after this point and we may start to draw attention." Kasanoda nodded.

Haruhi stepped out from behind him and smiled. She bowed deeply to Ritsu, and slightly less to Tetsuya, "Thanks for helping me today. Overall, I had a great day." Her smile now was all for Ritsu, "I look forward to seeing you again, and visiting with Cassie next week. See you at school!" she waved and walked off, head held high.

~o0o~

Haruhi had started humming tunelessly again as she put the groceries away. Ranka couldn't figure what she was so happy about, all the boys from her club were busy today. Maybe she just enjoyed a quiet day off. He'd ask her over dinner.

Later at the table, Ranka was surprised to find that his little girl had cooked most of his favorites. This made him immediately suspicious, she either had really great news, or she was going to tell him something he wouldn't like. Knowing her, probably both at once. "So tell me, dearest, how was your day?" Usually this conversation starter was ignored or answered in short sentences.

Today, surprisingly, she cooperated, giving him a fairly detailed account of running errands, going to the library, largely boring until she came to "And on the bus from the library, these thugs got on and started bothering me." Ranka nearly bent his spoon in half, then hid it under the napkin when she looked up at the squeak of tortured metal. He smiled and nodded to go on. She continued, "I got off at my usual stop near the park, and the thugs followed me, and then really started harassing me." She saw the look on his face and gestured reassuringly, "But don't worry, Kasanoda-senpai came with his guys and rescued me."

He nearly choked on his tea.

She came over and patted his back, fetching him a glass of water, "Dad, you okay?" He nodded and took a few deep breaths, waving at her to sit down and continue. She eyed him skeptically, "After that, the guys and I went to the park to have lunch, they picked up ootoro! Then when we were eating, I heard something whimpering and the guys got all defensive, but it was only this poor hurt dog. Ritsu helped me clean and bandage him and he agreed to take Cassie back to his place and let me visit to make sure he's okay. I wish we could have taken him, but I know we can't have dogs, and I wouldn't feel right leaving a big dog like Cassie all alone in the apartment while I'm at school and you're at work. Ritsu walked me to the intersection by the store, I went shopping for dinner, and came home."

Ranka's eyes were slightly glazed at the sudden flood of information. "So, what kind of dog is Cassie?" he asked in a choked voice.

"I'm not sure, some sort of pit bull mix, he had the jaw for it anyway. From the look of him, he'll probably get pretty big, almost a meter and a half on his hind legs." She began clearing the dishes, humming again.

He smiled up at her from his chair before she moved his napkin, "Don't worry about this, honey. You go ahead to bed and I'll clean up in here. After all, we have some cleaning to do tomorrow before school on Monday. All done with your homework for the weekend?"

She hugged him and kissed his cheek, "Yeah, all done with the homework for the next week, or at least what was listed in the lesson plan. All I have to worry about for school is any tests or quizzes that weren't listed."

"That's my girl, off to bed now, love you darling." He patted her hand on his shoulder.

"Love you too, dad." She called before closing her bedroom door and going to bed.

~o0o~

A short time later, once the dishes and kitchen were clean, Ranka picked up the phone. It was late, but the boy would likely still be awake.

Three rings, then a smooth voice said "Ootori Kyoya here, how are you this evening, Fujioka-sama?"

He growled, "Don't you –sama me, boy! Would you like to explain to me why my daughter was rescued from thugs by a bunch of Yakuza, then had a lovely picnic in the park with them, followed by rescuing a wild animal?" The ever present typing in the background stopped suddenly as his words registered, then started again, even faster.

Kyoya shifted the phone and his voice grew cold, "I'm reading the guard reports now, it looks like the tail we set on her lost her at the library, glossed over the missing hour and a half, and picked her back up at the grocery store. I have no mention here of Yakuza or wild animals, what exactly did she say?" He made a note in the file to have the offending guard sent to some terrible posting, where he can learn not to falsify reports.

Ranka snarled, "She mentioned Kasanoda, kept calling him Ritsu. Why the hell does she know a Yakuza member closely enough to call him by name? They rescued a dog together and she's going to go visit 'Cassie' at his house!"

"Please calm yourself, she knows him from the Host Club, where he visits her. He poured out his feelings and she told him what a good friend he was, and gentleman that he is, he agreed 'friends forever', so don't worry on that score." Kyoya felt a tiny bite of unease, had something changed?

Ranka laughed a bit, "I almost feel sorry for him, and my little Haruhi is just oblivious to how she breaks hearts wherever she goes. I would still rather have you or Morinozuka in my family, even the blonde idiot would be better than Yakuza. How could she be a lawyer and be associated with one?"

"Indeed, sir. I'll speak to him about this and make certain nothing is going on. In the meantime, I'll assign a new tail for Haruhi and make certain he knows to keep an eye on her at all times, from an unobtrusive distance, of course. Enjoy the rest of your evening, sir" Kyoya carefully hung up his phone, and stalked off to instill fear in the hearts of the fools that thought watching Haruhi wasn't important. In the garage, a guard shivered in atavistic fear.

Ranka sighed and hung up the phone. Now he could go get some beauty sleep, since that was all sorted out.

~o0o~

At the Kasanoda syndicate, Ritsu's father was slightly drunk.

His boy had come home a little later than the rest of his crew, who had dragged back an injured dog, of all things. He had been smiling and humming to himself, had the dog brought to his rooms, had dinner brought and went to bed. There were rumors over sake of the rescue of a girl, who had rescued the dog. It was said that she was going to visit, and whispers of a kiss. Well then, maybe there was hope for his son yet.

(A/N So, this is the start of a Haruhi/Casanova story. It will possibly become a chapter story, if I find the inspiration to continue. Reviews help me with that, and I appreciate suggestions, even if I can't use them. I really think Ritsu needs more love, he's not that bad of a guy.)


	2. Chapter 2

~Monday Morning

Ritsu woke, as he had the morning before, in a very good mood. "Morning Cassie, how you feeling?" he crooned to the dog, who raised his head and wagged his tail. "Let's check you out." He knelt and unwound the bandages, soothing Cassie when he whimpered. "That's a good boy, Cassie, I know it hurts. Come on, let me see your leg so we can try walking." He tested the leg, having Cassie stand and try a few steps, watching for any sign of discomfort. Well, he did seem to be favoring it a little, but a short walk after breakfast could be good. Clipping a lead to his harness, Ritsu led Cassie to breakfast, where he hid under the table, waiting for scraps. The guys seemed to like him, slipping a few pieces of surreptitious bacon under the table.

"You guys," Ritsu grumbled, "He's still healing at this point, but when I start training him, he's only allowed to eat out of his bowl. You know the drill, only the handlers feed the dogs, so no one can slip them anything. Cassie's going to be a special case, but I won't have him endangered. Quit it with the bacon."

"Yes, young master!" they chorused around the table. He nodded gruffly and coaxed Cassie from under the table. After their brief walk, they went back to his room, where he rinsed Cassie's wounds and rewrapped them, talking softly the whole time. Making sure someone would look in on him, Ritsu left with Tetsuya to walk to school, hopefully meeting Haruhi on the way.

~o0o~

Haruhi stood where she had left Ritsu on Saturday, fiddling nervously with her tie. Sunday had been strange, with her dad trying to subtly question her about her relationship with Ritsu and making his disapproval really obvious. She was kind of disappointed that her dad was being so instantly judgmental, because his father was Yakuza, he was immediately a bad guy.

Haruhi really wasn't stupid, a bit of quiet investigation on her part had determined that the current head of the Kasanoda syndicate ran it as a largely legitimate business, trappings and manners aside. She suspected that Kyoya's father was into far darker things, though she was never planning on mentioning it. At this point it was all old prejudice, as far as she was concerned, and she had more than enough of that at school. Would she have to downplay their relationship for both their sakes? Shaking her head, she looked up and waved to Ritsu and Tetsuya. She had hoped they would come.

Smiling and chatting, they walked to Ouran, Tetsuya leaving them by the gates, as Haruhi and Ritsu parted for their separate classes.

~o0o~

Ritsu Kasanoda was headed to lunch, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of Haruhi. A hand fell on his shoulder and he looked up to see Mori's face, more serious than usual. "What's up Mori-Senpai?" He shook his head and gestured to follow. Ritsu shrugged, may as well.

As they turned down an empty hallway, Mori tapped his shoulder, and he paused. "They will ask you about Haruhi's friendship. Do not hint at anything more." Mori said, and resumed walking.

Ritsu stood for a moment in shock, before hurrying to catch up. "Why would you warn me?"

Mori kept walking and said softly, "They rule her life enough already, she deserves a chance to decide on her own. I only wish her happiness."

Ritsu met his eyes and nodded firmly in agreement.

They soon reached Music Room #3, where Mori knocked twice and held the door for him, before crossing to a chair on the right of the dais. Most of the lights were off, except a few directly above the dais. Tamaki was in his throne, no wait, _was tied to_ his throne and gagged. To his left, acting as if there was no one struggling and attempting to scream next to him, was Kyoya. He looked smooth and unruffled as always, seeming to ignore the room as he looked through his notebook. On Kyoya's left was Honey, holding his bunny and seemingly unconcerned with the table of cake and tea placed at his side. Mori watched impassively from the right. Directly in front of Kyoya and Tamaki stood a single folding chair, illuminated by a spotlight. Ritsu looked at the setup, everyone was in cushioned chairs but him, and Tamaki and Honey were showing outward animosity. Kyoya was pretending to ignore him, in an attempt to make him nervous. Yes, definitely an interrogation, and a subtle attempt to drive home his inferior station.

Ritsu turned the folding chair around and leaned across the back. "Hey guys, what's up?" he asked nonchalantly. He reached down without looking and pulled a sandwich from his bag. Biting into it, he said "I'd have brought enough for everyone if I knew I was coming. If you wanted me to spend lunch with you guys, you only had to ask."

Kyoya wrote something in his book and snapped it shut. "Indeed, Kasanoda, I will make a note of it. I asked you here for a different reason, however. It has been brought to my attention that you managed a rescue of our dear Haruhi on Saturday?"

"Yeah, some guys were bothering her, so me and my guys scared them off. Hey, did you know Tamaki is bound and gagged?" Ritsu replied innocently.

"Of course, I'm the one who did so. We needed to have a serious conversation, for which he needed to be present, but we also needed to avoid his usual histrionics. If he has anything of worth to impart, I'll relay it." The muffled voice of Tamaki grew briefly louder, and the struggles more violent. Kyoya spared him a sideways glance, "Insults and threats against my person do not count as such, Tamaki, I suggest you calm yourself." The muttering grew softer, "And of course I can understand you, but I still won't let you out."

He refocused his attention to Kasanoda, one hand dismissing the spectacle that was Tamaki. "I hope you are aware of the value Haruhi holds to us? We wouldn't wish anything untoward to happen to her person _or her reputation_. After all, the only reason she even wished to come to this school was to further her ambition to become a lawyer, as her mother was before her."

"Haru-chan is too good for _you,_ " muttered Honey, his hands balled into fists. Kasanoda had fallen in his estimation, ever since he had peeked in on her. Even Mori had been unable to convince him it was unintentional.

Kasanoda nodded solemnly and sighed, "I know she is." He leaned his head on his arms, "She talked about you all, when us and the guys were having lunch. Have you seen her bag? It's like watching a magic trick." He allowed himself a brief smile that faded to a frown before continuing, "She mentioned wanting to do things on her own, but that Kyoya would hold some debt over her head if she didn't do whatever you all wanted." He glared in Kyoya and Tamaki's direction, "She said she feels more like a servant than a friend, sometimes. What the hell are you doing to her? If you're hurting her, I swear!-"

Kyoya interrupted, his eyes hidden in his glasses, "That's _my_ line, Kasanoda." He held his chin with one hand, "We don't intentionally try to make her feel like a servant, we just wish to spend time in her charming company. Admittedly, Tamaki's outings do tend to go a little over the top, but all in good fun, which is why I allow it." Muffled noises drew his attention, briefly, "Ah, he says 'Daddy does not approve', which is true in this instance. I have spoken to her _actual_ father, and he expressed some concerns about his daughter being a lawyer and associating with a Yakuza member. She seemed to have spoken of you in glowing terms and I reassured him that you two were just friends. Was I correct?" He leaned forward intently, gripping the arms of his chair.

Glowing terms? Surprise and joy are not allowed on the face, stick with resignation. Kasanoda consciously drew his eyebrows down, "Of course, you all were there, she 'friended' me twice, in front of a room full of overexcited girls." He winced at the memory and continued, "She also mentioned how much she values my friendship, as I don't try to force her into anything and actually listen to her." Glowering at Kyoya and Tamaki, he stood, "As her friends, you should do the same. We done here?"

Kyoya looked up from writing in his notebook, "For the moment, yes. But do try to remember your place, which is _not_ at her side. Haruhi is destined for greater things, and we can't allow you to drag her down. She really is too good for you, Kasanoda, no insult intended."

Ritsu had turned for the door, and paused before opening it, "I know. But if you can't start treating her like the wonderful person that she is, none of you are good enough for her either." He tightened his fingers on the door handle, and said softly, "She deserves to have whatever she wants, she gives up so much for others. How can she have what she wants when no one will listen? She doesn't care about money or gifts, you know, she's not like that." He leaned his head against the door and whispered, "I wish I could be enough." Shaking his head, he allowed the door to click shut behind him.

~o0o~

Eyes downcast, Ritsu walked to his next class, completely unaware of the other students scurrying away. He heard his name and looked up, causing a nearby student to drop his books. "Ritsu, quick, the twins are certain to be looking for me soon," Haruhi rushed up to him. His confused glare cleared the hallway.

She took his arm and hustled him into a nearby classroom. A growled "Out!" made the couple in the corner rush out, straightening their clothing. When the door closed behind them, he felt her small arms around his waist. Enfolding her in a strong hug, he whispered into her hair, "Just friends at school, I'm sure Kyoya watches the tapes. When in doubt, be angry at me." He felt a tiny nod under his chin. "They interrogated me at lunch, and I know the twins will show up soon." Another miniscule nod and she made a show of pushing him away and stepping back.

"How are your classes going?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Good enough, I'm getting a D in math."

She glared at him, "And how's Cassie getting along?"

He smiled a little, "We took him to the vet the first day, it seems like he was neutered and had his shots as a pup, but he's been living rough –someone's outside the door- for at least 6 months. We got him another set of shots, nothing's broken, but he's pretty beat up." He flicked his eyes to the door, "Maybe you should hold off visiting him so quick, you know, give him time to heal. He's sure to be more fun when he's feeling better."

She put her hands on her hips and leveled her best death glare at him, "Oh no, Casanova, I will be visiting MY DOG this afternoon, you don't get to weasel out of it so easily. You will meet me after Host Club this afternoon so I can check in on Cassie."

A show of reluctance with a hint of whine, "But I have a free period next."

Her eyes flashed at him as the door opened quietly, two redheads peeked in as she proclaimed, "Don't start with me, Casanova, you will bring me with you, even if I have to set minders on you. As for your free period, sounds like a perfect opportunity for you to study." Her face brightened suddenly, striking fear into the hearts of the boys, "Ah, I know! I'll check your notes after I look in on Cassie." She dusted her hands and flounced out, "That way I'll be sure you pass. See you after club."

The twins smirked and patted his shoulder, "Good luck, Bossanova!"

~o0o~

Host Club went as normally as could be expected, after the lecture Hikaru and Kaoru earned themselves by asking "So you're going to Bossanova's house today?" After enduring a 20 minute lecture about how friends don't spy on each other, Tamaki tried to use his "puppy dog eyes" to come along. Haruhi was unmoved, though she did suggest letting Cassie and Antoinette meet, once he was feeling better and properly trained. She named a few books, recommending he begin to train Antoinette to not jump on people so much. Kyoya agreed, Tamaki's exuberance was all he could take, without enduring a dog-clone as well.

Ritsu was slouched against a wall when she came out after club.

She waved, "Casanova! Do you have your homework?"

He shrugged, "Yeah. I called home for a car to pick us up, so you can check it over sooner. We can't waste time where schoolwork is concerned." The note of bitterness in his voice was very convincing, though false. Secretly, he was all but cheering at the prospect of time alone with Haruhi.

He waved her over to a town car with dark tinted windows in the back that completely obscured the interior. Holding the door, he handed her in and nodded to Ryu, who was grinning. "Good afternoon, Lady Haruhi."

She looked up from fastening her seatbelt, "Hi, Ryu, nice to see you again." Tapping her chin, she continued, "I give us about a 70% chance of being tailed, probably by Kyoya's people. I would not suggest any overtly evasive actions, but no rush. I expect a backup tail as well, either Honey or Mori's people."

Ritsu looked at her in admiration, "I didn't think you knew about this sort of thing."

She blushed slightly as the car began moving, "I watch a lot of action movies, and I've noticed being followed. It was established in my mind when I kept seeing Tachibana and the same three guys everywhere I went. I lost them in the library on Saturday before I met you."

He nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Any sign of them yet, Ryu?"

The driver met his eyes in the rearview mirror, "About four cars behind us, they're being pretty subtle, but I see them. Hold on." He made an unnecessarily sharp turn, causing Haruhi to tip half into Ritsu's lap. "Sorry, but they would have expected some form of evasive action."

Ritsu glared and raised the divider.

Haruhi raised an eyebrow, "Well, since I'm here…" She straightened up enough to meet his lips.

He froze for a moment before turning towards her and taking her in his arms. He smoothed her hair before placing his fingers at the back of her head and deepening the kiss. With her curves pressed against him, he could feel her trying to unbuckle her seatbelt to get closer. He reluctantly ended the kiss and stopped her. "No, we have to stop now, keep your seatbelt on, we should be there soon." He took a deep breath to calm himself, and she did the same, fixing her clothing and smoothing her blazer.

A short drive later and they stopped in front of the Kasanoda Syndicate's gate. Two guards checked Ryu before opening the door and bowing. "Young lord, your dog has been walked and is waiting in your rooms. We have the dining room prepared with snacks for you and your guest. Tetsuya is waiting inside if you need anything else."

Ritsu nodded and stepped out before turning and offering Haruhi his hand, which she took. When he tried to let go, she smiled and squeezed his hand. They walked through the doors hand in hand.

"Welcome back, Young Lord!" chorused the waiting Syndicate members. Haruhi squeaked and clutched Ritsu's arm. Ritsu face palmed and shook his head, "Just keep walking, Haruhi."

"Welcome, Lady Haruhi" They chorused again. "Um, hi?" She replied hesitantly.

As they passed inside, a few quiet conversations started up. "Are you sure that's a chick? Looks a bit like a guy." "A couple of the fellas met her in town over the weekend, she's a chick."

Ryu spoke up from behind them, "I was there, she really is a girl, and they seem to like each other a lot. We gotta be careful with them, I'd hate for us to scare her away. The Young Lord would be mad for ages!" He pushed his hair back and continued, "Remember when they met in school and we thought she was a dude? You want to go through that again?" The guys shuddered and went back to work.

~o0o~

Ritsu gave Haruhi a brief tour before bringing her to his rooms, where Cassie was waiting. He lifted his head and thumped his tail. "Cassie! Are you being a good boy for Ritsu? Of course you are, you're such a good boy!" Haruhi was petting him, rubbing his ears and talking baby talk for a good five minutes. Ritsu fought a grin at her behavior, he hadn't figured her for baby talk.

He knelt next to her, gently petting Cassie as she continued to talk softly to him. After awhile, she stopped and turned to him, "Do you want to do your homework in here?" Cassie wuffed beside them and got to his feet, the petting had stopped, that was not acceptable.

Ritsu shook his head and tilted his head at the desk in the corner, "There's not enough room for two at my desk, I thought we would do our work in the dining- oof!" Cassie, since they had stopped paying attention to him, jumped on Ritsu's back, knocking him onto Haruhi. Fortunately, his reflexes had cushioned her fall with his arms, so she didn't hit her head, but left them tangled together on the floor. With one arm cradling her head, and the other tucked behind her waist, they were so close he could feel each curve and rise of her breath. His body began to react, his libido calling up a few secret fantasies very similar to this, and his face reddened. She smiled softly at him, pulling his face down for a kiss. His mind stopped working for a moment, so he didn't hear Cassie barking behind him, or the sound of the door sliding open. Two shiny black shoes appeared in his field of vision, and someone cleared their throat.

Ritsu powered to his feet, crouching protectively in front of Haruhi, before he realized who had come in. Standing and helping Haruhi to her feet, he said, "Hey Pops, you're home early."

His father scowled, "The meeting at Daydream was quick and I wanted to meet your girl. Who's this _boy_?"

Haruhi muttered, "Right, uniform." She shook her head and bowed to Ritsu's father, "Kasanoda–Sama, I really am a girl, here, let me show you." And she began to take of her jacket.

"Haruhi, you can't strip in front of my dad, what are you doing?" Ritsu whispered forcefully, holding her arm. She looked quizzically at him before she shrugged and twisted, leaving him holding her Ouran blazer. Once out of its concealing folds, her cream colored shirt made it quite clear that she was a girl in trousers, rather than a slightly effeminate boy.

She gathered up their school bags and asked Kasanoda-Sama, "Can we have this discussion in the dining room? We still have homework to do and one of the guys at the gate said there were snacks laid on."

He inclined his head toward her, "Of course, miss. My son and I will lead the way." As they walked down the hall, he hissed to his boy, "Yeah, I could see how you were _studying_ , what the hell is going on here?"

Ritsu shook his head, "Sorry, Pops, I hafta keep her secrets, but if you ask, she'll probably tell you everything. She won't directly lie."

"She was dressed as a boy, very convincingly!"

"Talk to her, I guess." Ritsu shrugged.

Behind them, Haruhi pointed to a half opened door, "Kasanoda-Sama, Ritsu, isn't the dining room in there?" They stopped, realizing she was correct, and trudged back up the hallway.

Kasanoda took the head of the table, with Ritsu and Haruhi sitting on either side. He cleared his throat once they were all seated, with tea close to hand, "So, why wear the boy's uniform?"

Haruhi sighed and played with her cup, "The first things you need to understand are that the Host Club is certifiably insane, and most of the girls at Ouran are apparently idiots, okay? So, my first day was hell, my contacts were lost, so I had my spare glasses, which were hideous, and the neighbor's brat had got gum in my hair the day before, so I hacked it all off. I couldn't afford the uniform, so I was just wearing comfortable clothes. I wanted to study after school, but every single library was full of chattering students. So finally I found what I thought was an abandoned music room. The host club were there. I was trying to avoid Tamaki and accidentally broke an 8 million yen vase. I ended up being conscripted to being their dog, and promoted to host after the first session. They gave me the boys uniform first, so I wore it, I really wasn't bothered by that. When it got wet after an incident with a bully, they gave me the girl's uniform, and finally figured out I was a girl. Since then, it was one crazy adventure after another, with the debt hanging over my head. They put me in dresses at every opportunity, and the girls still think I'm a boy. At the end of last year, Tamaki was required to spend time with a crazy French girl, who made him disband the Host club and paid the last of my debt."

Ritsu spoke up, "But then why-?"

Haruhi shook her head and continued, "When she tried to force him to go with her, Kyoya arranged a high speed chase with a Renaissance horse and carriage, with Hikaru and Kaoru driving and me along for the ride to convince Tamaki to come back. He's crazy, but we don't abandon our friends. The carriage hit a rock, throwing Hikaru out and breaking his arm. Kaoru stayed with him and I went on. I made it to the road they were on and tried to talk Tamaki into coming back, but the carriage hit something else, and I flew into the water. Tamaki came after me, fortunately. That night we all danced, with me in a dress, again. Since then, Kyoya reestablished my debt for the destruction of the carriage, charging Hikaru and Kaoru as well, so it's not as much, but it never seems to go down. As to the uniform itself, the Hitachiin brothers retailored my clothes when I hit a growth spurt this year, because I refused to bind. With the addition of a spare sock, voila, I'm a boy."

Kasanoda put his head in his hands and massaged his temples, "Your story is insane."

Haruhi shook her head, "No, I left most of the crazy out of it. For example, we went to a waterpark Kyoya owned, where we lost Honey and were chased by alligators. Mori and I went to look for him, but were stopped by guards before Honey rescued us. I didn't know about the ties between Haninozuka and Morinozuka before then."

"Hold on, Hitachiin, Haninozuka, Morinozuka, who are the other two, Kyoya and Tamaki?" Kasanoda asked.

"Ootori and Suoh. Suoh founded the Host Club, but Ootori runs everything." Haruhi replied with a shrug.

"So with five of the top families, why are you here? Feel like adding Yakuza to your network? What are you aiming for?" Kasanoda rubbed his greying moustache.

Ritsu glared at him, which he ignored, before Haruhi replied, "Honestly, I really don't care about money or connections. I make friends, not conquests. The only reason I'm here is that I genuinely like Ritsu and want to spend time with him. I know your family is Yakuza, and I also know that Ootori is darker than you. He employs his band of mercenaries wherever he feels it will bring the most profit, and is physically and emotionally abusive to his family. I worry about actual harm, and you treat your employees and clients much better than he does. There are laws being discussed to help families like yours take their place with the rest of society, and I hope to help establish more when I become a lawyer. There's enough old prejudice in the world already, we should be better than that."

"Too many Godfather movies?"

Haruhi laughed and shook her head, "No, but I do believe that a person should matter on their own, regardless of money or station." She looked to Kasanoda, "Do you own Lotus, as well as Daydream? My father works at Lotus, you may know him as Ranka."

Kasanoda began laughing, "Your father – crossdresser, you dress as a boy, ha! Yakuza lawyer! *snort*" He put his head on his arms and continued laughing for awhile.

Ritsu spoke up, "Pops, she's telling the truth, but the Host club considers her to be theirs. We can't let them know she associates with us. As far as they're concerned, she's only here for the dog. We can't tangle with all of them. Please, Dad."

"Right, right. So we have to keep your association quiet. What do the fellas know, and would they tell? You two are safe in the complex, but Ritsu, I don't want to see any more of what happened earlier. You know the Code, and I'll not have that sort of thing."

"It was the dog!"

"Sure, boy, sure it was. No matter, I believe you two have homework to complete?" Kasanoda smiled.

~o0o~

That night, after Haruhi had been driven home, Ritsu and his father met in his study. Kasanoda sat in his chair, "She's a civilian, Ritsu, you know the dangers. Keep that in mind."

"Yes, Father." He bowed and left for his rooms.

Kasanoda mused, "Interesting girl, hope they last."


End file.
